What we know about Wess Roley, the Idaho fire shooting suspect
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Law enforcement officers near the scene of the shooting of firefighters near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Screenshot: Courtesy of CNN
More information surfaced Monday about Wess Roley, the 20-year-old suspected shooter in an incident that left two Idaho firefighters dead and another wounded over the weekend, as his family spoke to multiple outlets about the suspect's life and career.
The big picture: Though police have yet to determine what the suspect's intensions or motives were, Wess Roley's family has told multiple outlets that they were shocked over the allegations since he himself sought to be a firefighter.
Here's what we know so far about Wess Roley, based on interviews from his family, information from police and other reports.
The basics
Police said Monday that Roley had previously lived in California, Arizona, and Idaho.
- He did not have a criminal history with the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office, officials said.
- The suspect previously had five "minor" interactions with the sheriffs office, police said.
Parents and home life
Roley's family were arborists and they climbed trees, police said at a press conference late Monday. He had a loving family, and recently vacationed in Hawaii, his grandfather, Dale Roley, told CNN.
- Court documents obtained by NBC News show that in 2015, his mother, Heather Lynn Cuchiara, asked for protection against Roley's father and her then-husband, Jason Roley, for alleged acts of assault and damage.
- Wess Roley's father told a CNN reporter that he wasn't close with his son.
A running website identified Wess Roley as a track runner at a local high school and a member of the class of 2024. His grandfather told 4 News Now that Wess liked to hike often.
- "It wasn't like he was a loner," Dale Roley told CNN. "We had no reason to suspect that he would be involved in something like this."
Wess Roley moved to Idaho in 2024, where he had his own apartment, his grandfather told the New York Times.
- "He was just trying to figure his life out," he said. "He seemed to be a little bit optimistic."
Career
Wess wanted to be a firefighter, Dave Roley told multiple outlets.
- "He wanted to be a fireman – he was doing tree work and he wanted to be a fireman in the forest," Dale Roley told CNN. "As far as I know, he was actually pursuing it."
- "He loved firefighters," he told NBC News. "It didn't make sense that he was shooting firefighters. Maybe he got rejected or something."
Was Wess Roley a gunowner?
Wess Roley allegedly owned a shotgun and long rifle, his grandfather told CNN. However, law enforcement officials did not say if those weapons were used in the Idaho shooting.
Go deeper: Suspected shooter identified in Idaho firefighter ambush
